I've seen both Bill English and Trevor Mallard on bikes at Makara and Karapoti respectively.

AND a few of the greens on bikes.

What's this all mean I wonder..... ?

andrecymba wrote:

Kazmeistyr wrote: "Threatens".

Am I incorrect in assuming ( yes, yes I know), that the Central Govt. policies are more to do with access to National Parks etc?

I'm a bit woolly on these. Can anyone shed more light?

You are right in that local councils play an important role in providing cycling infrastructure.

But the money to implement those is coming (on average - varies form council to council) 50 % from Central Government. The other 50 % is from local rate payers.

The 50 % contribution from local rate payers hardly get into cycling infrastructure - most councils are reluctant to invest more in cycling, either because they see cycling as a minority issue, or just because the typical council is often composed by councillors who are used car dealers, property developers, real state agents, suburbia residents, et cetera. These profiles probably represent fairly well the local communities, but the tradeoff is that you see more roads being built for more suburbian residents buying more used cars, commuting more to and from more greenfield developments, rather than serious provision for cycling.

One of the major shifts that is needed in Central Government policy is to pay for cycling projects with tax payers moneys. This is one of the good proposals that are advocated by the Greens, with its recently released Transport Policy, in which cycling, walking and public transport projects are funded 100 % by Central Government.

Good lad

Malcy wrote: I've seen both Bill English and Trevor Mallard on bikes at Makara and Karapoti respectively.

AND a few of the greens on bikes.

What's this all mean I wonder..... ?

Computer sez...... 2 fifths of fuck all.

I haven't used the correct terminology, I haven’t put in the road statistics or any international studies as this is only my opinion formed from my own experiences. Cycling is dangerous. I feel more fear biking over the Moonshine Bridge than looking down at the ground through the clouds at 12000 feet because I know that when I jump it's up to me to make sure I’m safe. It only takes one stupid driver to go a bit too fast, change the radio (as happened to the young lady who was killed in Mangaroa) or to send a text to put me in danger. I got knocked off my bike in Waipukurau when a car turned left onto Porangahau Road from a side street. He didn't look. He came so far onto the road that if a car was coming it would have just got around him by driving on the other side of the road. But being on a bike riding a foot from the gutter he collected me and smashed my bike to hell. I got a few bruises and scrapes which was good but lost my bike. I got knocked off again on Bank Street in Whangarei when a young fulla opened his door without looking. Remember the police officer killed this way a couple of months ago in Petone and more recently the old guy cycling along Fergusson Drive in Silverstream?? I was lucky he only smashed my bike, new helmet, broken foot blah blah guy had no money, no insurance. Trentham lights, I’m on Fergusson Drive heading up to Upper Hutt and an old lady knocked me off my bike because she was turning left onto Moonshine Drive and failed to see me!! Well, that’s what she told the cops but she actually didn't look because I was looking right at her thinking this old bats going to hit me and there is nothing I can do about it. I’m 27 and have had 3 accidents, many close calls and I’ll forgive you for thinking that I’m one of those cyclist pratts who take up the entire road riding two abreast when you can hardly fit one car in the lane. I’m not. Those guys piss me off too. I’ve had my full car license for 11 years and motorbike for 10. The road is for all to use safely. Now I try not to make a fuss but cycling, I’m quiet passionate about so I thought I’d add my 5 cents worth.

Cycling is important. Other than the health and environmental aspects it has some financial gain. It cost me $8 per train trip from Upper Hutt to work in Wellington. Now, if it's not pouring down with rain or absolutely freezing I’ll cycle because its fun and I like it. It also saves me money through not spending on transport and that's a nice extra.
Here's the thing, the Moonshine Bridge is treacherous. So is the Avalon turn off, the Lower Hutt & Petone underbridge, Petone intersection and so forth. I'd like to see safer bike lanes or wider roads, more money put into driver education and some emphasis put on cyclist safety when new drivers sit their licenses.

Biking is a sustainable form of transport, it encourages a healthy lifestyle and as a kid I spent a lot of time with my family doing the week end ride or with mates at the park taking my mountain bike down a river bank etc. So it encourages positive socialisation and supports the family unit.

At the moment social policy is looking at preventative models as it is cost-effective. Cycling aligns quite nicely with current initiatives and would continue even with a National led government. Despite our moral beliefs, it is cheaper to spend money on rehabilitation, prevention and so forth than it is to build more prisons, introduce harsher penalties, fund more obesity or diabetes related treatment and so forth. As a country NZ can't afford these policies .

Now I’ll leave all the BS and ra-di-dah to the politicians but I can say that the benefits of cycling are widespread. In terms of the current credit crunch, it's not going to last forever and it's worthwhile thinking about how roadworks are funded. Local council contribution is required and often means works are planned 10 years in advance. So lobbying both central and local government is important. Doing it now is important as we look at the next 5, 10, 15 year plan accommodating cyclists can and should be taken into consideration now as to an afterthought. Need I remind you that the entire country is paying for the major roadworks happening in Auckland at the moment.

With that I’ll leave you wondering where I get the time to write such crap, I’m at home with a broken leg – I wonder how that happened??

After reading that, all I can say is fuck riding on the road.

neats - bad luck, but more importantly, where do you jump?

jeez, bad luck indeed neats.
great post though, i think i totally agree with everything you said!

the worst thing is that sh2 hutt to wellington is not an isolated bad bit of road, its probably the most popular cycle route in the region - although its bad, everywhere else is too.

I heard that a mate of mine who broke his neck (heal fast man!!) was talking to a chick at the hospital. She told my mate a woman in a 4x4 (read SUV in old speak) ran her down. Then went on to complain and ask said knocked down cyclist "Can you get out of the way, I have children I have to get to school!"

WTF?!?!?

Good point though Neats, 12000ft does give you more control, cos it's up to you. Imagine a stray F1-11 coming at you though!!! (this actually happened in Omarama earlier this year to a glider!!)


Funny the "Greens" and sustainability. I saw an Audi A6 with a Greens sticker on the window Tuesday, and yesterday and old Ford econovan or similar, rusting, blackened rear door with exhaust soot, and Green lables.

Hypocritical Greens supporters? "Hey, buy our stickers, it helps the environment!"

I just hope that the local govt here in Wellers wisese up soon, they are doing their damndest to kill recreation in Wgtn. Taken away a pool (atleast given permission to destroy one, thus over crowding the others", taken away cycle lanes etc etc etc.

Kerry, corrupt? Of course. Happens when hubby is a propertl developer.

Malcy wrote: I've seen both Bill English and Trevor Mallard on bikes at Makara and Karapoti respectively.

AND a few of the greens on bikes.

What's this all mean I wonder..... ?

If they're not arguing about it on the internet then it doesn't matter.

JB FTW!

ants06 wrote:

michael wrote:

porscha wrote:
3 They are all linked to the Green party (Hence hidden agendas)

You mean your paranoid?

NO i think porscha means hidden agendas!

Prob is they ALL have hidden adgendas and were f%^ked no matter how we vote

We're going to get kcufed over by which ever party gets voted in anyway, whatever promices they make before they get in, almost certainly wont be honoured once they take up the power.

How many partys have ever followed through with all their pre-election promices once in power?

There was a dude recently did a PhD on just that.

I think that Labour won that? but it's like 80% of promises kept?

I wish I were more awake watching these things....

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0809/S00207.htm

http://www.thestandard.org.nz/govts-do- ... an-others/

There you go Google is your friend.

andrecymba wrote: most councils are reluctant to invest more in cycling, either because they see cycling as a minority issue

Which it is.

Like dirty old Biill used to say: "Its the economy, stupid!"